Desserts

Blackberry Dump Cake

  • (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
  • ½ cup rolled oats
  • 4 cups fresh blackberries
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup butter, melted (can also use cold butter shavings)
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Mix your berries, sugar and cinnamon together and spread in the bottom of a 9×13 pan.
  3. Sprinkle dry cake mix and rolled oats over the top of berry mixture. 
  4. Pour melted butter over the cake/oats mix, make sure you cover evenly.  (Melted butter will absorb into the dry cake mix.  Do not stir!  If you use cold butter shavings, scatter over the top of dry cake mix trying to cover evenly)
  5.  Bake 30 minutes or until top is golden and berries are bubbling.  You can serve this with ice cream, whipped cream or cool whip. 

Kentucky Butter Cake
(originally submitted to Allrecipes.com by Suzanne Stull)

  • 3 cups all purpose flour    
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 cup buttermilk *
  • 1 cup softened butter (Oh, dear Lord, help us)
  • 2 tsps vanilla extract
  • 4 eggs

Butter Sauce:

  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/3 cup butter (I know…more butter.  Just go with it.)
  • 3 tbs water
  • 2 tsps vanilla extract

*(can substitute 1 cup milk with 1 tbs vinegar or lemon juice – let stand for five minutes and then whisk well before adding to recipe.)

  1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.  Grease and flour a 10 inch bundt pan.
  2. Mix your flour, 2 cups sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda together in large bowl.  Blend in buttermilk, 1 cup butter, 2 tsps vanilla and 4 eggs.  Beat for 3 minutes at medium speed.  Pour batter into greased bundt pan.
  3. Bake for 60 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into center of the cake comes out clean. 
  4. While baking, make the Butter Sauce.  In a saucepan combine the remaining 3/4  cups sugar, 1/3 cup butter, 2 tsps vanilla and the water.  Cook over medium heat until fully melted and combined.  DO NOT BOIL.
  5. When your cake is done and still warm (here’s where it gets fun) poke holes all over it.  Slowly pour your Butter Sauce over the cake making sure to cover each of your poked holes.  Let your cake cool and set before removing from the pan.

ETA:  This recipe is even more amazing if you double the butter sauce.  Go ahead.  Do it.  At this point, seriously, what do you have to lose?  Also…this cake truly gets better after it has time to rest so make sure and let it cool a little before you dig in.  That’s all.

Pumpkin Dump Cake

  • 1 (29 oz.) can pumpkin puree – not pumpkin pie filling
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
  • 2 tsps. pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 pkg. (18.25 oz.) spice cake mix
  • 1/2 cup melted butter
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees; grease a 9×13 inch casserole pan.
  2. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin puree, eggs, both sugars, and milk.  Mix well.  Add pumpkin pie spice and salt.  Pour mixture into prepared pan.
  3. Sprinkle cake mix over the pumpkin mixture, covering evenly.
  4. Pour melted butter over the top of cake mix.  Make sure and coat dry cake mix well.
  5. Bake for 50-60 minutes (until edges begin to brown).  To test doneness:  insert knife or toothpick into center of cake.  Should come out clean but not dry.  Do not overcook your pumpkin cake.  It will continue to set once you remove from oven and cool. 

Serve with whipped cream (I actually make my own…I know, I still can’t believe it myself) and enjoy the heck out of this pumpkin dump cake.

Snickerdoodle Cookies

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar (baking powder can be substituted)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons white sugar
  • 3 teaspoons cinnamon
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Cream together butter, shortening, sugar, eggs and vanilla.  Blend in sifted flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.  Mix well.  Shape balls of dough, slightly smaller than a golfball. 
  3. Prepare mixture of white sugar and cinnamon on plate.  Roll balls of dough in mixture until coated well.
  4. Place on ungreased cookie sheet approximately 2 inches apart.
  5. Bake for 8-10 minutes.  Cookie should be set but not crispy.  Remove from cookie sheet as soon as possible and cool.  Cookies should be soft and chewy so DO NOT OVERBAKE. 

Yield: 48 cookies

Chocolate Brownie Trifle

  • 1 pkg. brownie mix
  • 1 (3.9 oz) pkge instant chocolate pudding
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 (8 oz.) container frozen whipped topping (thawed)
  • 1 (12 oz.) container frozen whipped topping (thawed)
  • 2 Skor candy bars
  1. Prepare brownie mix according to package and cool completely.  Cut into 1 inch squares.
  2. In a large bowl combine pudding mix, water and sweetened condensed milk. Mix until smooth and then gently fold in 8 oz container of thawed frozen whipped topping until there are no streaks remaining.
  3. In a trifle bowl, arrange layers accordingly; place half of the brownies, half of the pudding mixture and half of the 12 oz. container frozen whipped topping.  Repeat layers.
  4. Coursely chop 2 Skor candy bars and sprinkle on top of the finished trifle.

Sweet Coconut Cake

Cake

  • 1 2/3 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup butter
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tsps coconut extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbs. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup flaked coconut

Frosting

  • 4 Tbs. butter
  • 2 cups flaked coconut
  • 2 tsps. milk
  • 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 8 oz. package cream cheese
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan.
  2. In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beat until smooth.  Add coconut extract and mix well.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. 
  4. Add 1/2 of the flour mixture, alternating with 1/2 of the buttermilk, to the butter/sugar mixture and mix well after each step.  Mix until all ingredients are combined.  Fold in flaked coconut.  Pour into prepared bundt pan.
  5. Bake for 1 hour, or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.  DO NOT OVERBAKE. 
  6. To make frosting:  Melt 2 Tbs. butter in a skillet and add coconut, stirring over low heat until browned.  Spoon coconut onto paper towel to drain and cool.  Cream the remaining 2 Tbs. butter with the cream cheese.  Add the milk and confectioner’s sugar, alternately, beating well.  Add the vanilla and stir in 3/4s of the toasted coconut. 
  7. Once the cake has cooled, spread frosting.  Press the remaining toasted coconut over the top.
  8. Eat.
  9. Eat another piece.
  10. Run on treadmill.

Golden Rum Cake

  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 pkg. golden yellow cake mix
  • 1 pkg. (3.4 oz)  instant vanilla pudding
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1/2 cup dark rum (oh, come to mama)
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup dark rum (yes, please)
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Spray a 10 in bundt pan with Pam baking spray.  Sprinkle chopped nuts into the bottom of prepared pan.
  2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix and pudding mix.  Mix in the eggs, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup rum.  Blend together.  Pour mixture into pan over the nuts (hehehe).
  3. Bake in the preheated oven for 45-60 minutes, depending on your oven, or until cake is done.  Let the cake cool and then turn out onto serving plate.
  4. Prepare glaze:  in a saucepan, combine 1/2 cup butter, 1/4 cup water, and 1 cup sugar.  Bring to a boil over medium heat and continue to boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until glaze reaches desired consistency.  Remove from heat and add in 1/2 cup rum.
  5. Brush glaze over cooled cake.  You can also reserve some to pour over individually served pieces.